Thermal electrolytic production

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with thermal electrolytic production. According to one embodiment, a system includes a tower having an active reflux evaporator and a condenser system. The active reflux evaporator having a distributor pump assembly and an absorber. The distributor pump assembly pumps a heat pipe liquid metal to a distributor. The absorber receives the liquid metal from the distributor. The absorber facilitates evaporation of the liquid metal to form an evaporated metal. The condenser system includes a thermal load and a liquid pump assembly. The thermal load condenses the evaporated metal back to the liquid metal. The liquid pump assembly actively pumps the liquid metal to the distributor pump assembly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of pending U.S. Provisional Patent application, Ser. No. 62/056,258, entitled Solar Thermal Electrolytic Production of Mg from MgO, filed Sep. 26, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Patent application, Ser. No. 62/111,588, entitled Active Reflux Evaporator associated with Thermal Electrolytic Production of Metal from Metal Ore, filed Feb. 3, 2015, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

NOTICE ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING

This invention was made with government support under cooperative agreement DE-AR0000421 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the ARPA-E program. The government has certain rights in the invention.

BACKGROUND

Thermal electrolytic production may utilize heat pipes. A heat pipe is a component of a reflux evaporator with an extremely high effective thermal conductivity. Heat pipes are evacuated vessels, typically circular in cross section, which are back-filled with metal fluid. The reflux evaporator may be a passive system, with no moving parts, used to transfer heat from a heat source to a heat sink or an isothermal surface with minimal temperature gradients.

Heat pipes operate using evaporation and condensation of the heat pipe liquid metal. Specifically, as heat is input at the evaporator, the heat pipe liquid metal vaporizes, creating a pressure gradient in the heat pipe. This forces the vapor of the heat pipe liquid metal to flow along the heat pipe to the cooler section where it condenses, giving up the latent heat of the heat pipe liquid metal from vaporization. The heat pipe liquid metal is then returned to the evaporator by capillary forces in the porous wick structure or by gravity. For heat pipes used in elevated locations, such as towers, the heat pipe liquid metal has to work against gravity. For example, suppose that an evaporator is on top of the tower and that the condenser is located a hundred meters below on the ground. For the heat pipes to function, large amounts of the heat pipe liquid metal must climb the hundred meters using capillary pumping, which is unviable. Accordingly, the applications of heat pipes may make the conventional use of capillary pumping and gravity refluxing unviable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

This brief description is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are described below in the detailed description. This brief description is not intended to be an extensive overview of the claimed subject matter, identify key factors or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

As discussed above, relying on capillary pumping and gravity refluxing to return the heat pipe liquid metal to the evaporator may be unviable. It is unviable because the capillary pumping pressure must overcome three basic pressure drops within the heat pipe: vapor pressure drop, liquid pressure drop, and gravitational force pressure drops. If the evaporator is located above the condenser, the heat pipe liquid metal may not be able to overcome these three pressure drops.

For a heat pipe to transfer heat, the heat pipe liquid metal vaporizes and travels to the condenser, where it is condensed and turned back to a saturated metal fluid. In one embodiment, the condensed metal fluid is returned to the evaporator using a wick structure exerting a capillary action on the liquid phase of the metal fluid. The wick structure of the heat pipe may be finer. The finer the pore radius of a wick structure, the better the heat pipe can operate despite gravity. Still, based on the vertical distance between the evaporator and the condenser, a fine enough wick structure may not be physically possible. Accordingly, heat pipes may not be able to operate against gravity.

Described herein are examples of systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with active reflux evaporators. The systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein actively pump metal fluids from the condenser (e.g., the thermal load, electrolytic cell) up the tower to the evaporator. By using active reflux evaporators returning fluid metal to an evaporator is no longer subject to the restraints of gravity. Accordingly, evaporators can be used in applications in which the evaporator is vertically separated from the condenser. For example, a solar tower may be specifically suited for isothermal applications such as supplemental heating for electrolytic cells. In one embodiment, a solar tower having an active reflux evaporator may be used in conjunction with an electrolytic cell for solar thermal electrolytic production such as generating a metal from a metal ore.

The following description and drawings set forth certain illustrative aspects and implementations. These are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which one or more aspects may be employed. Other aspects, advantages, or novel features of the disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various systems, methods, and other embodiments of the disclosure. Illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. In some examples one element may be designed as multiple elements or multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a solar power tower associated with solar thermal electrolytic production.

FIG. 2A illustrates one embodiment of an active reflux evaporator coupled to an array of thermal loads.

FIG. 2B illustrates one embodiment of a heat pipe condenser system associated with solar thermal electrolytic production.

FIG. 3A illustrates one example graph showing percent loss from regenerative cooling associated with an active reflux evaporator.

FIG. 3B illustrates one example graph showing calculated thermal power transferred as functions of pipe diameter and sodium vapor temperature.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of an active reflux heat pipe evaporator coupled to an array of thermal loads and an electrolytic cell.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of an electrolytic cell associated with thermal electrolytic production.

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of one embodiment of an electrolytic cell associated with thermal electrolytic production.

FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a method associated with solar thermal electrolytic production.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments or examples illustrated in the drawings are disclosed below using specific language. It will nevertheless be understood that the embodiments or examples are not intended to be limiting. Any alterations and modifications in the disclosed embodiments and any further applications of the principles disclosed in this document are contemplated as would normally occur to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. Described herein are examples of systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with thermal electrolytic production.

Heat pipes have high heat flux capabilities, operate isothermally and are capable of operating at temperatures up to 1100° C. Therefore, heat pipes are well suited for transferring heat to wide range of high-temperature applications, such as supplemental heating for electrolytic cells. Conventional liquid metal heat pipes operate by delivering the heat to a load by condensing the metals using gravity refluxing and/or capillary forces in a wick to return the condensed liquid metal back to the evaporator. However, these forces are typically insufficient to return the metals over vertical distances. For example, capillary pumping large amounts of a heat pipe liquid metal up towers over 100 meters high is not viable.

As discussed above, for an evaporator on top of a tower and a condenser on the ground, the heat pipe liquid metal return has to work against gravity and capillary pumping large amounts of a heat pipe liquid metal up towers over 100 meters high is not viable. Actively pumping the heat pipe liquid metal from the condenser up the tower to the evaporator is potentially a way to overcome this shortcoming.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a solar power tower 100 associated with solar thermal electrolytic production. The solar power tower 100 includes an active reflux evaporator 110 and a condenser system 120. Sunlight received at the active reflux evaporator 110 causes a heat pipe liquid metal at the active reflux evaporator 110 to be evaporated. In one embodiment, the heat pipe liquid metal is liquid sodium (Na). The evaporated metal flows as a vapor to the condenser system 120. At the condenser system 120 the evaporated metal condenses back to a heat pipe liquid metal, thereby releasing the heat of evaporation. The condenser system 120 then actively pumps the heat pipe liquid metal back to the active reflux evaporator 110. In one embodiment, the active pumping is performed by a hydraulic pump.

FIG. 2A illustrates a close-up view of one embodiment of the active reflux evaporator 110 described above with respect to FIG. 1. The active reflux evaporator 110 includes a distributor 210, absorber 220, an opening 230, piping 240, a return 250, and a distributor pump assembly 260. In one embodiment, the heat pipe liquid metal is actively distributed by a distributor 210 onto an absorber 220. For example, liquid sodium may be distributed on the absorber 220 by the distributor 210. In one embodiment, the absorber 220 includes a wick that facilitates the recirculation of excess amounts of the heat pipe liquid metal, thereby facilitating distribution of the heat pipe liquid metal. Specifically, the condensed metal fluid is returned to the evaporator using a wick structure exerting a capillary action on the liquid phase of the heat pipe liquid metal. The wick structure of the heat pipe may be finer. The finer the pore radius of a wick structure, the higher against gravity the heat pipe can operate.

The distribution of the liquid metal is driven by thermal energy derived from solar flux received at the opening 230. The opening 230 may include optics to focus the solar flux. For example, the case of solar input with tower-based optics, the reactor matches the concentrated solar flux delivered to the electrochemical reaction rate. In order to match the concentrated solar flux to the demand for thermal energy at an electrolytic cell.

In one embodiment, the thermal energy may be derived from alternative sources such as natural gas, hybrid of solar and natural gas, general combustion of fossil fuels, etc., or a combination thereof. The thermal energy supplies all non-electrical energy necessary to drive the reaction with respect to FIG. 1. For example, one aspect of the thermal energy may be used to preheat the reactants, break the chemical bonds, and flash vaporization. The evaporated liquid metal in the heat pipe is directed to the condenser system, which will be discussed below with respect to FIG. 2B, through the piping 240. The heat pipe liquid metal returns to the active reflux evaporator 110 through the return 250 to the distributor pump assembly 260, which feeds the distributor 210.

FIG. 2B illustrates a close-up view of one embodiment of the condenser system 120 described above with respect to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2A. The piping 240 and the return 250 operate in the manner described above with respect to FIG. 2A. Accordingly, evaporated liquid metal is received at the condenser system 120 through the piping 240.

The condenser system 120 includes a thermal load 270. In one embodiment, the thermal load 270 is an array of isothermal loads. In one embodiment, the thermal load 270 is an electrolytic cell. The thermal load 270 causes the evaporated liquid metal to condense into a liquid metal.

The condenser system 120 also includes a liquid pump assembly 280. The liquid pump assembly 280 returns the liquid metal through the return 250 to the distributor pump assembly 260 described above with respect to FIG. 2A. Accordingly, even without heat pipe liquid metal in direct contact with the thermal load 270, the heat transfer back through the return 250 is not shut off because the liquid pump assembly 280 actively pumps the liquid metal to the distributor pump assembly 260. The active pumping may utilize an external source to produce the force to move the liquid metal such that the liquid pump assembly 280 is able to overcome the forces internal to the tower 100, such as gravity. Furthermore, even if the return 250 cools and a hard vacuum is created that inhibits heat transfer, the liquid pump assembly 280 is still able to pump the heat pipe liquid metal.

The ability of heat pipes, including the piping 240 and the return 250 discussed above with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B to transfer heat is limited by a number of factors including (a) the viscous limit, (b) sonic limit, (c) entrainment limit, and/or (d) capillary limit. Because the heat pipe liquid metal is actively pumped and distributed over the absorber (discussed above with respect to FIG. 2A, 220), the entrainment, viscous, and capillary limits are effectively avoided by using the active reflux system (discussed above with respect to FIG. 2A, 210). FIG. 3A illustrates one example graph 310 showing percent loss from regenerative cooling associated with an active reflux evaporator. For example, the heat loss as a function of the recuperator temperature differential is shown for temperatures, including 800° C. line 320, 900° C. line 330, and 1000° C. line 340. Thus, the parasitic cost of the systems and methods described herein is minimal because the sensible heat needed to cool the liquid metal is small compared to its heat of vaporization.

FIG. 3B illustrates one example graph 350 showing calculated thermal power transferred as functions of pipe diameter and sodium vapor temperature associated with solar thermal electrolytic production. For the data illustrated in this embodiment, the metal vapor is the sodium vapor. Evaluation of the sonic limits indicates that large amounts of power can be readily transported through common sized piping, especially at high temperatures. FIG. 3B shows the estimated thermal transport assuming a Mach number of 0.5 at 800° C. line 360, 900° C. line 370, and 1000° C. line 380. More specifically FIG. 3B illustrates assuming a Mach number of 0.5. For lower temperature applications, the heat pipe liquid metal may be potassium or perhaps a mixture of sodium (Na) and potassium (K). Potassium has a higher vapor pressure than sodium and, therefore, a higher thermal transfer at a given temperature. Potassium also has a melting point of 64° C. Mixtures of potassium and sodium (NaK) have even lower melting points. The eutectic, NaK-78, has a melting point of −12.8° C.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a tower coupled to an electrolytic cell. The tower 400 operates in a similar manner as the tower 100 described above with respect to FIG. 1. The tower 400 is configured to supply heating for an electrolytic cell 410. In one embodiment, tower 400 does not involve a solar thermal input. Instead, tower 400 may include a fossil fuel input or any available high temperature process heat, for example as may be available from a nuclear reactor. The tower 400 provides heat to the electrolytic cell 410. In one embodiment, the tower 400 may include a sodium heat pipe that embedded in the electrolytic cell 410. Accordingly, the sodium heat pipe transfers thermal energy to the electrolytic cell 410 through the floor of the electrolytic cell.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of an electrolytic cell associated with solar thermal electrolytic production. Electrolysis is conducted in an electrolytic cell 500. The electrolytic cell 500 may be used to produce a metal from a metal ore, such as magnesium (Mg) from magnesium oxide (MgO). In another embodiment, the thermal electrolytic production may produce any commodity, such as organic and inorganic materials, in an electrolyte.

The electrolytic cell 500 includes an anode 510 and cathode 520. In one embodiment, the anode 510 is carbon. The cathode 520 may be steel or molybdenum. The electrolytic cell 500 may further include a molten salt electrolyte, such as a fluoride-based molten salt electrolyte or an eutectic mixture including magnesium fluoride (MgF₂), calcium fluoride (CaF₂), and barium fluoride (BaF₂) in various ratios.

Electrolysis separates the metal from the metal ore. In accordance with the example given above, the Mg is separated from the MgO. As described herein, the liquid metal produced from the metal ore is referred to as the produced liquid metal to differentiate the produced liquid metal from the heat pipe liquid metal. The produced metal liquid is formed as a liquid in an electrolyte, such as a molten fluoride salt, at high temperatures (e.g., 1250° C.) as a product of electrolysis. The electrical energy input to the electrolytic process is kept as close to the thermodynamic minimum that nature will allow so that the remainder of the energy required to drive the reaction is supplied as thermal energy. As discussed above with respect to FIG. 4, the thermal input can be supplied as concentrated solar energy, natural gas, combustion, etc. The anode 510 and the cathode are separated by a distance referred to as the interelectrode gap. In one embodiment, the interelectrode gap is kept as small as possible without compromising current efficiency.

The produced liquid metal forms at the cathode 520 and is directed away from the gaseous products forming at the anode 510 to increase the current efficiency because hydrodynamic forces, including buoyancy, direct the flow of the products (e.g., the produced liquid metal) from the anode 510. Specifically, the produced liquid metal at the cathode 520 is channeled through a shroud 530 such that the metal is isolated from the anode 510. The shroud is configured to separate the anode products to minimize the cell overvoltage for a given desired current level so that the electrical energy input can be kept low, thereby maximizing the opportunity for thermal input. Thus, the shroud the separation process is designed to minimize the interelectrode gap without comprising the current efficiency because the smaller the interelectrode gap the lower the overvoltage.

The shroud 530 is constructed to surround the cathode 520. The size, shape, and materials of the shroud 530 are selected to maximize high current efficiency at a low voltage or overvoltage. To this end, the structure of the shroud 530 is selected such that the electrical energy input is substantially the difference in free energy between the products and the reactants, ΔG. In one embodiment, the outside of the shroud 530 is constructed from a non-conducting oxidized material and the interior houses the cathode 520. In one embodiment, the shroud 530 has solid walls. In another embodiment, the shroud 530 may surround all or a portion of the cathode 520 to improve the current flow about the cathode 520. In another embodiment, the shroud 530 is permeable. For example, the shroud 530 may be constructed from a mesh or material having flow holes. The shroud 530 may be constructed of a metal (e.g., steel, molybdenum), ceramics, polymer, wire, etc, or combination thereof.

The metal is less dense than the electrolyte and therefore rises in the shroud 530. The shroud 530 allows the metal that forms at the cathode 520 to rise to the top of an electrolyte, isolated from gas products, such as CO₂/CO, forming at the anode 510 prevents the metal from recombining with the gas product and thus compromising the current efficiency of the cell. By isolating the metal from the anode product, the shroud 530 enables high current efficiency without an excessive overvoltage penalty. Accordingly, industrially relevant current densities are attained while most of the charge transfer goes to producing recoverable metal.

In one embodiment, the metal is Mg. The Mg liquid floats on top of the electrolyte within the shroud 530. For example, the cathode 520 and shroud 530 may for a compartment that allows for the removal of the Mg from the electrolytic cell 500. In one embodiment, the liquid Mg is channeled out of this compartment and recovered as a liquid metal outside of the electrolytic cell 500. In another embodiment, a flow of a gas, such as Ar, passes through this compartment thereby vaporizing the metal and directing the Ar/Mg gas mixture outside the electrolytic cell 500 where Mg is condensed and the Ar is recycled back to the electrolytic cell 500, which is known as flash vaporization.

When the metal rises within the shroud 530 to the top of the electrolyte in the electrolytic cell 500, the metal is then vaporized in an inert gas stream. The inert gas stream is provided through inlet 540 and exits the electrolytic cell 500 at outlet 550. For example, the inert gas may be argon or other inert gas. The metal is condensed downstream of the electrolytic cell 500. The metal condenses first to a liquid and then to a solid. The inert gas may be recycled back to the electrolytic cell 500. Gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and/or carbon monoxide (CO) mixtures, resulting from electrolysis form at the anode 510. The gases rise and exit the electrolytic cell 500 through the outlet 550. The cell 500 may be placed in a container 560 having a graphite liner 570.

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of one embodiment of a chimney of an electrolytic cell associated with solar thermal electrolytic production. The electrolytic cell 500 includes an anode 510, a cathode 520, a shroud 530, an inlet 540, and an outlet 550 which operate in a similar manner as described with respect to FIG. 5.

The electrolytic cell further includes a connection point 610. The connection point 610 that allows the electrolytic cell 500 to be operably connected to other devices such as a solar tower as described with respect to FIG. 1. For example, the connection point 610 may allow the solar tower (not shown) to provide the electrolytic cell with energy, such as thermal energy. In another embodiment, the connection point 610 may be an electrical connection that allows power to flow to and from the electrolytic cell 500. For example, the connection point 610 may be a point for applying a voltage to the electrolytic cell.

FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a method associated with solar thermal electrolytic production. The solar thermal electrolytic production may be associated with an electrolytic cell configured as a component of solar device. For example, the electrolytic cell may be operably connected to a tower.

At 710, metal ore is provided to an electrolytic cell for electrolysis. Suppose that the metal ore is MgO. The MgO may be provided as a pellet or a powder based on the desired dissolve rate. As described above, the electrolytic cell includes a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte such as a molten salt electrolyte. The process of electrolysis divides the metal from the metal ore. For example, electrolysis separates Mg from MgO. As discussed above, the metal forms as a liquid at the cathode.

At 720, the metal resulting from the electrolysis of the metal ore is isolated in a shroud at the cathode. The shroud is constructed around the cathode to isolate the metal at the cathode. The shroud may be semi-permeable such that the metal is able to flow inward but not outward. The shroud may be constructed with micro-valves and/or strategically placed holes. In another embodiment, the shroud may be constructed from a metallic or polymer mesh. By isolating the metal from the anode product, the shroud enables high current efficiency without an excessive overvoltage penalty.

At 730, the produced liquid metal is retrieved from a shroud. In one embodiment, the condensed metal may be tapped from the shroud. For example, an outlet may be positioned to allow the condensed metal to flow out of the electrolytic cell. In one embodiment, the metal moves through the shroud based on pressure differentials and is swept into an inert gas stream. In the inert gas stream, the metal is vaporized in a process such as, flash vaporization. When the metal is in the captured in the inert gas stream the metal condenses first into a liquid and then into a solid. At 740, the condensed metal is retrieved from the inert gas stream.

The following includes definitions of selected terms employed herein. The definitions include various examples and/or forms of components that fall within the scope of a term and that may be used for implementation. The examples are not intended to be limiting. Both singular and plural forms of terms may be within the definitions.

References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “one example”, “an example”, and so on, indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element or limitation. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it may.

While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, illustrated methodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks. The methodologies are not limited by the order of the blocks as some blocks can occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from that shown and described. Moreover, less than all the illustrated blocks may be used to implement an example methodology. Blocks may be combined or separated into multiple components. Furthermore, additional and/or alternative methodologies can employ additional, not illustrated blocks. The methods described herein is limited to statutory subject matter under 35 U.S.C §101.

To the extent that the term “includes” or “including” is employed in the detailed description or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

While example systems, methods, and so on have been illustrated by describing examples, and while the examples have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the systems, methods, and so on described herein. Therefore, the disclosure is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus, and illustrative examples shown and described. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims, which satisfy the statutory subject matter requirements of 35 U.S.C. §101.

Various operations of embodiments are provided herein. The order in which one or more or all of the operations are described should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. Alternative ordering will be appreciated based on this description. Further, not all operations may necessarily be present in each embodiment provided herein.

As used in this application, “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. Further, an inclusive “or” may include any combination thereof (e.g., A, B, or any combination thereof). In addition, “a” and “an” as used in this application are generally construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. Additionally, at least one of A and B and/or the like generally means A or B or both A and B. Further, to the extent that “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variants thereof are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising”.

Further, unless specified otherwise, “first”, “second”, or the like are not intended to imply a temporal aspect, a spatial aspect, an ordering, etc. Rather, such terms are merely used as identifiers, names, etc. for features, elements, items, etc. For example, a first channel and a second channel generally correspond to channel A and channel B or two different or two identical channels or the same channel.

Although the disclosure has been shown and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur based on a reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. The disclosure includes all such modifications and alterations and is limited only by the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A thermal electrolytic production system, comprising: a tower having: an active reflux evaporator having a distributor pump assembly to pump a heat pipe liquid metal to a distributor; an absorber to receive the heat pipe liquid metal from the distributor, wherein the absorber facilitates evaporation of the heat pipe liquid metal to form an evaporated metal; and a condenser system having: a thermal load to condense the evaporated metal back to the heat pipe liquid metal; and a liquid pump assembly to actively pump the heat pipe liquid metal to the distributor pump assembly.
 2. The thermal electrolytic production system of claim 1, the liquid pump assembly using an external source to produce the force to move the heat pipe liquid metal to the distributor pump assembly.
 3. The thermal electrolytic production system of claim 1, the active reflux evaporator further comprising an opening to receive solar flux and direct the solar flux to the absorber.
 4. The thermal electrolytic production system of claim 1, the absorber further comprising a wick structure having a porous structure to recirculate excess amounts of the heat pipe liquid metal.
 5. The thermal electrolytic production system of claim 1, wherein the thermal load is an array of isothermal loads.
 6. The thermal electrolytic production system of claim 1, further comprising: an electrolytic cell configured to receive thermal energy from the solar tower to facilitate production of a metal from a metal ore.
 7. The thermal electrolytic production system of claim 6, further comprising: a heat pipe carrying the heat pipe liquid metal, wherein the heat pipe is associated electrolytic cell to transfer heat from the heat pipe liquid metal to the electrolytic cell.
 8. A thermal electrolytic production method, comprising: providing metal ore to electrolytic cell for electrolysis; wherein the electrolytic cell has a cathode and an anode; isolating a liquid metal produced from the electrolysis in a shroud, wherein the shroud isolates the produced liquid metal at the cathode from products produced at the anode; and retrieving the produced liquid metal from the shroud.
 9. The solar thermal electrolytic production method of claim 8, wherein a structure of the shroud is selected such that the electrical energy input is substantially the difference in free energy between the products and the reactants.
 10. The solar thermal electrolytic production method of claim 8, wherein the shroud is constructed from a metallic or ceramic mesh.
 11. The solar thermal electrolytic production method of claim 8, wherein the produced liquid metal is retrieved from the shroud by tapping.
 12. The solar thermal electrolytic production method of claim 8, wherein the produced liquid metal is retrieved from the shroud by flash vaporization.
 13. The solar thermal electrolytic production method of claim 8, wherein the electrolytic cell receives thermal energy from a tower.
 14. The solar thermal electrolytic production method of claim 8, wherein the metal ore is magnesium oxide, wherein the metal is magnesium, and wherein the inert gas is argon.
 15. A thermal electrolytic production system, comprising: a tower having: an active reflux evaporator having a distributor pump assembly to pump a heat pipe liquid metal to a distributor; an absorber to receive the liquid metal from the distributor, wherein the absorber facilitates evaporation of the heat pipe liquid metal to form an evaporated metal; a condenser system having: a thermal load to condense the evaporated metal back to the heat pipe liquid metal; and a liquid pump assembly to actively pump the heat pipe liquid metal to the distributor pump assembly; and an electrolytic cell configured to receive thermal energy from the tower to produce a metal from a metal ore.
 16. The thermal electrolytic production system of claim 15, the liquid pump assembly using an external source to produce force to move the liquid metal to the distributor pump assembly.
 17. The thermal electrolytic production system of claim 15, the electrolytic cell having an anode and a cathode, wherein the anode is separated from the cathode by shroud.
 18. The thermal electrolytic production system of claim 17, wherein the shroud is constructed from a metallic or ceramic mesh.
 19. The thermal electrolytic production system of claim 15, wherein the electrolytic cell utilizes thermal energy from the tower.
 20. The thermal electrolytic production system of claim 15, the active reflux evaporator further comprising an opening to receive solar flux and direct the solar flux to the absorber. 